California motorists filling up after January 1, 2015 are likely to experience sticker shock as a result of a state agency-mandated gas "fee". Remember recent talk about cap-and-trade? Yep, that's the culprit!

NACS reports that Jay McKeeman, vice president of government relations and communications for the California Independent Oil Marketers Association (CIOMA), penned an article for the Sacramento Bee last week congratulating the state Legislature for passing a budget on time. He also pointed out a troubling aspect of the state’s cap-and-trade system that most residents are unaware of.

Beginning January 1, 2015, revenues from cap and trade “are expected to jump from the millions to between $3 billion and $5 billion” because gasoline and diesel will be included in the cap-and-trade program. “This means those ‘polluters’ who will be footing the financial windfall for the state aren’t smokestack industries, but California drivers,” McKeeman wrote.

He continued that a recent poll suggests 70% of Californians are unaware of this “fuels under the cap” program and the direct impact it will have on their wallets — “despite the fact that its start date is a little more than six months away.”

According to a 2010 economic analysis commissioned by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), gas prices are expected to increase between 4% and 19% as a result of cap and trade, noted McKeeman. “With gas hovering around $4 a gallon in most regions of the state, this translates to 16 to 76 cents more per gallon. Under this scenario, it’s not hard to imagine a day very soon when it will cost $100 for a tank of gas.”

As of this morning, the price for USA Gasoline had risen 8¢ per gallon overnight. Chevron and Mobil at Sherman Way and Whitsett Avenue in North Hollywood remained the same. Guess Tesoro (refiner of USA) must have been hit with a load of carbon tax fines this past year. But I expect all the other brands to similarly rise within a few days.

Sure is a nice time to be an Indian, in forest management. (They receive some of the increased funds as payment for being nice to the world.)

honda0105 said: "it spiked diesel to >$5/gal in the US when Bush was in office"

I'd prefer another short-duration spike like that to the many YEARS now we've been paying well over $3/gallon.

But remember...the Bush administration didn't do ANYTHING to cause that spike, whereas the Obozo administration has been quite clear that they want Americans to pay high prices for energy. Obozo had blocked drilling on federal lands. Obozo put a moratorium on Gulf drilling for 2 years.

It is not a surprise to me. I have predicted, as have others, that prices would skyrocket after cap-and-trade was passed in this state, and it is the fault of the DemocRAT-controlled state legislature.

Anyone that knows anything about oil/fuel will blame Bush and Cheney for sky high oil/fuel prices from now on--Obama gets some blame also---but the main damage was done long before we even knew who Obama was----Just so you know, 6 months before Obama took office oil was $147.00 per barrel and gasoline was $4.25 where it had climbed steadily since the start of the second invasion of Iraq-and the shutting down,and splitting up of Iraq's huge cheap oil fields after march 20 2003---and the only reason it was cut in half by the time Obama took office is because the market had melted down,and with it most commodities,including oil/fuel-in large part because of the Iraq war and the quadrupling of the price of fuel from 2003-2008-----the only thing that has happened since Obama got in was the market came back up,and with it the high,or sky high prices we have seen since 2003.Well that, and just in the last couple of years,EPA restrictions,mileage requirements,trying to expand the 2005 and 2007 ethanol mandates-and now cap and trade,in California-talk of new taxes,etc. that is Obama's part-and it will add great cost---but before the last 2 years---almost all a direct result of the near retarded actions of "W"/Cheney.

One wonders how long the voters in California will continue to put up with the agenda of the political party that has been in control of the state legislature for the last few decades.

Bear in mind that a national "cap and trade" tax on all sources of any greenhouse gases is exactly what the Obama administration has wanted for their environmental legacy since the day they assumed office.

Obama sucks,and now he can be tied to ridiculous oil/fuel costs-but anyone giving Bush and Cheney a pass on the high or sky high oil/fuel costs the last 11 years is just not paying attention-from the start of the Iraq war in 2003 to the summer of 2008 crude oil per barrel went up $115.00 per barrel--straight up without interruption from under $30.00 per barrel where it had stayed for two decades--to the all time high price in history of $147.00 per barrel just before the market crashed-----the market crashed,and with it oil/fuel prices for a few short months--and just as soon as the market came back up so did oil/fuel prices-----and the $115.00 per barrel increase in those 5 years-and still to this day,and from now on for that matter--were the direct result of US foreign and domestic policy.

You don't know gas tax till you come north of the border!!! As for shock, here in Tor. we hit a new high of nearly $1.44 /L ( that's 6.53 /gal Cdn). I unfortunately had to fill up after doing a half fill earlier thinking the spring runup would have to end. My little sub-compact took over $55 to fill from above 1/8th of a tank - that's right wasn't empty. My guess, our small 4-cyl SUV will likely take about $100 to fill from empty now.PS: prem. fuel differential is also up so I feel sorry for those with high-perf. engines.